Author Profile

J Lee Jenkins

Dr. Jenkins is a Faculty member in Emergency Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She researches and writes in the areas of Emergency Public Health and Disaster Medicine. Her writings include health analysis of California Wildfires, Hurricane Katrina and International Trauma Systems.

Recent Posts

Background: Heatwaves are one of the most deadly weather-related events in the United States and account for more deaths annually than hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined. However, there are few statistically rigorous studies of the effect of heatwaves on emergency department (ED) arrivals. A better understanding of this relationship can help hospitals plan better and provide better care for patients during these types of events.

Methods: A retrospective review of all ED patient arrivals that occurred from April 15 through August 15 for the years 2008 through 2013 was performed. Daily patient arrival data were combined with weather data (temperature and humidity) to examine the potential relationships between the heat index and ED arrivals as well as the length of time patients spend in the ED using generalized additive models. In particular the effect the 2012 heat wave that swept across the United States, and which was hypothesized to increase arrivals was examined.

Results: While there was no relationship found between the heat index and arrivals on a single day, a non-linear relationship was found between the mean three-day heat index and the number of daily arrivals. As the mean three-day heat index initially increased, the number of arrivals significantly declined. However, as the heat index continued to increase, the number of arrivals increased. It was estimated that there was approximately a 2% increase in arrivals when the mean heat index for three days approached 100°F. This relationship was strongest for adults aged 18-64, as well as for patients arriving with lower acuity. Additionally, a positive relationship was noted between the mean three-day heat index and the length of stay (LOS) for patients in the ED, but no relationship was found for the time from which a patient was first seen to when a disposition decision was made. No significant relationship was found for the effect of the 2012 heat wave on ED arrivals, though it did have an effect on patient LOS.

Conclusion: A single hot day has only a limited effect on ED arrivals, but continued hot weather has a cumulative effect. When the heat index is high (~90°F) for a number of days in a row, this curtails peoples activities, but if the heat index is very hot (~100°F) this likely results in an exacerbation of underlying conditions as well as heat-related events that drives an increase in ED arrivals. Periods of high heat also affects the length of stay of patients either by complicating care or by making it more difficult to discharge patients.

Introduction: Older adults are vulnerable to disproportionately higher morbidity following disasters. Reasons for this vulnerability are multifaceted and vary by disaster type as well as patient comorbidities. Efforts to mitigate this increased morbidity require identification of at-risk older adults who can be targeted for intervention.

Methods: A PubMed search was performed using the search terms “geriatric, disaster” and “morbidity, disaster” to identify published articles that reported variables associated with increased morbidity of older adults during and after disasters. A review of article titles and abstracts was then conducted to identify those articles that contained evidence-based variables that render older adults vulnerable to poor health outcomes during disasters.

Results: A total of 233 studies was initially identified. After applying exclusion criteria, nine studies were chosen for the comprehensive review. Based on the synthesis of the literature, factors were identified that were repeatedly associated with morbidity and mortality among older adults during and shortly after disasters.

Conclusion: Older adults, especially those with multiple co-morbidities, are at risk of increased morbidity after disasters and catastrophic events. Factors such as the need for prescription medications, low social support, visual and hearing impairment, impaired mobility, and poor economic status are associated with an increased risk of morbidity.

Portable generators are commonly used during electrical service interruptions that occur following large storms such as hurricanes. Nearly all portable generators use carbon based fuels and produce deadly carbon monoxide gas. Despite universal warnings to operate these generators outside only, the improper placement of generators makes these devices the leading cause of engine related carbon monoxide deaths in the United States. The medical literature reports many cases of Carbon Monoxide (CO) toxicity associated with generator use following hurricanes and other weather events.

This paper describes how Howard County, Maryland Fire and Rescue (HCFR) Services implemented a public education program that focused on prevention of Carbon Monoxide poisoning from portable generator use in the wake of events where electrical service interruptions occurred or had the potential to occur. A major challenge faced was communication with those members of the population who were almost completely dependent upon electronic and wireless technologies and were without redundancies. HCFR utilized several tactics to overcome this challenge including helicopter based surveillance and the use of geocoded information from the electrical service provider to identify outage areas. Once outage areas were identified, HCFR personnel conducted a door-to-door canvasing of effected communities, assessing for hazards and distributing information flyers about the dangers of generator use.

This effort represents one of the first reported examples of a community-based endeavor by a fire department to provide proactive interventions designed to prevent carbon monoxide illness.